When a control panel with indicia or controls must be illuminated, a single light source to illuminate the control panel is often placed behind the control panel to provide backlighting so that the light source can illuminate the indicia or controls from behind. Thus, the indicia or control is visible to a user in low ambient light.
However, the indicia or control is not fully illuminated or not fully visible when backlit. Intervening components are often required between the panel and the light source. As shown in FIG. 1, these intervening components cause shadowing or produce a shadow of the intervening component that falls upon the illuminated indicia or control. The intervening components also cause negative imaging where light from the light source is blocked and a dark mirror image of the intervening component appears on the backlit indicia or control. Thus, the indicia or control is not fully illuminated or fully visible to the user when backlit.
Thus, a need in the art exists for an assembly for illuminating indicia or controls with substantially no shadowing or negative imaging.